And then there was one. Good luck to English club rugby’s sole survivor Northampton, who still have a winnable home Champions Cup quarter-final against Castres this Saturday, but otherwise the flag of St George hangs limply at half‑mast. To suggest the Premiership’s contenders had an underwhelming weekend is like saying global share prices have taken … Read more
Colin Cowherd peered down from his studio desk perched high above the chairs assigned to the guests on his Fox Sports talkshow. He had a simple question for Fifa president Gianni Infantino. More of a demand, really. “Give me something about America that you really love,” Cowherd said. “Can I say burger?” Infantino offered, before … Read more
Having played professional basketball in five countries, including spells at three NBA franchises, John Amaechi would appear better qualified than most to comment on the current state of the sport in this country. So when he describes the nine Super League Basketball clubs as a “cartel” who churn out “sewage”, any interested parties are likely … Read more
I am also a child of Italian football. My school was called AC Milan. The 4-0 win against Barcelona in the 1994 Champions League final was the benchmark in my training for how a team attack and defend together. What distances do we keep? Who is responsible for winning the ball? When are cross-field passes … Read more
Arsenal v Real Madrid Second in the Premier League meets second in La Liga. It was marginal gains for Arsenal at the weekend as they closed the gap to Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table by a point, but their only realistic chance of silverware this season is in the Champions League, … Read more
Matildas star Steph Catley says she hopes Football Australia finds a permanent coach “sooner rather than later”, admitting players are “in limbo”. The Matildas have been without a full-time coach for eight months since Tony Gustavsson’s official departure on August 1 after the Paris Olympics. In their 11th game under caretaker Tom Sermanni, Australia defeated … Read more
Sarina Wiegman says England want to “get revenge on ourselves” and prove they have made marked improvements since losing in Belgium a year and a half ago, when they return to the same stadium here on Tuesday. The Lionesses were beaten 3-2 by Belgium on 31 October 2023 on their most recent visit to the … Read more
Lucas Paquetá faces a frustrating wait as he fights a possible life ban over Football Association spot-fixing charges because the case will not finish until June at the earliest. The independent panel presiding over the hearing did not conclude proceedings in the initial allotted three-week slot, that ended last Friday, because of its complexity. The … Read more
At the end of Real Madrid’s 4-4 draw with Real Sociedad last week, Carlo Ancelotti was asked whether there had been any point at which he feared for their place in the Copa del Rey final. He had watched his team go 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3 down, the game heading into extra time before Antonio … Read more
For Newcastle United, the comedown can wait. Eddie Howe’s side jumped to fifth in the Premier League to intensify their push for the Champions League after dismantling a sorry Leicester City. Newcastle’s business was in effect complete after 34 minutes, courtesy of two goals by Jacob Murphy and one from Harvey Barnes. For Leicester, it … Read more